


I'll (Not) be Home for Christmas

by catiemo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst with a Happy Ending, Army, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 11:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2810261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catiemo/pseuds/catiemo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A little Christmas Sabriel I wrote for Ladydrace because I got this plot bunny and thought she'd like it.</p>
    </blockquote>





	I'll (Not) be Home for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyDrace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDrace/gifts).



> A little Christmas Sabriel I wrote for Ladydrace because I got this plot bunny and thought she'd like it.

                Sam sat eagerly at his computer, staring at his Skype contact list. Finally, the little bubble popped up that said “Gabriel Novak (private_trickster) is online.” He couldn’t help a smile as he clicked his husband’s name and connected the call.

                “Hey, Sammo,” Gabe smiled at him from an army barracks on the other side of the world, “How’s my favorite husband?”

                “I don’t know, should I ask him?” Sam teased.

                “Shut up, you know it’s you.”

                “Duh,” Sam said, “I better be.”

                “How are things stateside?” Gabe asked, more seriously.

                “Things are good,” Sam said, “I’ve almost gotten my shopping done. Dean and I are going to mom’s later to make cookies.”

                “You’re going to bake?”

                Sam shrugged, “I’ll probably just help decorate or something.”

                “Spike the eggnog for me, will ya?” Gabe asked.

                “I am not going to incur my mom’s wrath because you think Dean’s a funny drunk,” Sam said.

                “Darn,” Gabe said, “at least I tried.”

                “Yeah,” Sam said, “no vicarious pranking this time. We’ll miss you though.”

                “Yeah, I’ll miss you too,” Gabe said, sadly.

                “Did you get my present?” Sam asked.

                “I did,” Gabe said, “I was about to ask if you wanted me to open it now.”

                “Yeah,” Sam said, watching intently as Gabriel set the box on his lap and began pulling off the paper.

                Gabriel lifted the cover off the box and pulled out the first item, which was a package of socks. “Awesome,” Gabe said with a smile, “I needed a few more pairs.”

                “That’s the small one,” Sam said, “there’s more.”

                Gabe looked down and picked up the piece of paper sitting at the bottom. It was a photocopy of the form for Sam to change his last name to Novak. “But you like being a Winchester,” Gabe said.

                “Not as much as I like making you happy,” Sam said and Gabriel started to tear up.

“Thanks, Sam, I love it.”

“You’re welcome,” Sam said, smiling softly.

“Okay,” Gabe said, setting the box down, “what did I get you?”

Sam laughed. It was Gabriel’s idea for him to buy his own gift, since he had access to all his money. He had said to spend $50 on himself, but Sam didn’t need to spend that much. He went to the tree and picked up the salad spinner he had bought. When he held it up to the webcam, Gabe was pissed.

“You got yourself a fucking salad spinner?” he asked, “Are you nuts?”

“Got you,” Sam chuckled, “but you only get a peak, just in case someone comes in.”

“Oh, I got you something naughty didn’t I?” Gabe asked, his face brightening.

“Maybe,” Sam said, lifting the spinner up to the camera and opening the lid just enough to let Gabe see the silk camouflage thong sitting inside.

“That looks more like something you got me,” Gabe said, “after all, it is my color,” he joked.

“Nope,” Sam said, “these are just for me. If you happen to be around while I’m enjoying them, that’s just a bonus.”

“God, I love you,” Gabe said. In the background, a buzzer sounded and Gabriel sighed. “Lights out soon,” he said.

“Alright,” Sam said, “love you.”

“Love you too,” Gabriel blew a kiss to the camera and Sam returned it before ending the call with a sigh. Christmas wasn’t going to be the same without Gabriel.

 

Sam passed along Gabe’s messages to his family, and he did not spike the eggnog (though Mary had laughed when he mentioned it). The cookies turned out fine despite Sam’s involvement and he went home with more than he could possibly eat.

He spent the rest of the night wrapping the last of his gifts and watching crappy TV. HE had really been missing Gabriel lately. Some days were easier than others, but ever since Thanksgiving, when Gabriel wasn’t there to watch the game and yell at the TV with Dean, he was lonely. It was worse at night, when he didn’t have work to distract him.

He went to bed early, but couldn’t sleep. It had been six months since Gabriel was last home on leave, and he still wasn’t used to the other side of the bed being cold and empty. He had trouble sleeping every time he Skyped with Gabe. He just missed him so much.

 

The next week went by slowly. Sam only got the occasional e-mail from Gabe, so when it came time for their weekly skype session on Christmas Eve, Sam was practically bouncing in his chair waiting for Gabe to come on.

But he didn’t. Five minutes passed and then ten. _That’s fine_ Sam told himself, _Must have gotten held up doing something_. And then another half an hour passed and he started to get worried. Was Gabe off on some mission and forgot to tell him he wouldn’t make it? Had something happened to him?

He re-read the last e-mail from Gabriel. It was nothing out of the ordinary. The simple, “I love you, I miss you, see you Saturday,” mixed in with the few little bits of information he was able to tell Sam about his work there. Nothing about needing to go off base or not being able to contact him. So what was going on?

He was about to e-mail one of Gabe’s army buddies to see if he knew what was going on when he heard a knock at the door. That was even weirder. His family never knocked and no one else ever came to visit. He got up from his desk and went to answer the door, his heart racing. What if Gabe had died and this was someone coming to tell him? He saw a flash of olive in the window of the front door. Oh god.

He opened the door, expecting the worst, but instead, found his husband, alive and well, standing on their front porch. “You ass!” Sam said, slapping Gabe lightly, “I thought you were dead.”

“Oh, Sam,” Gabriel said, his smiling falling as he dropped his duffle. He pulled Sam into a tight hug and Sam let the tears fall.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he said, pressing their foreheads together.

“I’m so sorry,” Gabe said, “I was supposed to be back before our usual call time but my flight got delayed.”

“Why are you here?” Sam asked, “I thought you had to stay.”

“I lied,” Gabriel smirked, “I know I promised I’d never lie to you, but I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, I’m surprised,” Sam chuckled, the relief of Gabriel being safe and the happiness of having him here was almost too much. He pulled Gabriel into a kiss before mumbling against his lips. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” Gabe said, “now let’s get inside, it’s cold out here.”

Sam laughed, “This is warm. You’ve been over there too long.”

“Yeah, I have,” Gabriel said, stepping inside, “which is why, when my tour’s over in May, I’m not re-enlisting.”

“Really?” Sam asked, not daring to believe it.

“Really,” Gabe said, “Merry Christmas, Sam.”

Sam smiled and closed the door behind them. “Merry Christmas.”


End file.
